Understanding CISA’s Post-Quantum Cryptography Guide

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently unveiled a procurement guide aimed at preparing federal agencies for the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). This effort focuses on ensuring that software and hardware include quantum-resistant encryption to withstand future threats posed by quantum computing.

The guide discusses the availability of PQC standards across various platforms. These include platform-as-a-service, infrastructure-as-a-service, internet browsers, and more. It also highlights product categories adapting to PQC, such as software-as-a-service, password management, and intrusion detection systems.

Despite its usefulness, some experts have raised concerns. Critiques point to the guide’s lack of guidance on essential inventory practices for cryptography. Roberta Faux of Arqit and Peter Bentley of Patero stress that without clear cryptographic inventory protocols, the “PQC-enabled” designation may become mere marketing, lacking true reliability, especially in multi-vendor environments.

Bentley added, “Without visibility and established practices, the PQC label risks becoming just a marketing term, not a verifiable standard.”

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